St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1887-03-31
e. G. REDINGTON.
"Reminiscences of His Life i'm st. Johns


bury.
Mr.. Editor: May / add word tt
your appreciative mention, in last
: weeks CALIFORNIAN, of the late Mr.. e
c. Redington. When it was told
among us that he was taken, it seemed
as if one of our own citizens was gone.
Years of absence never broke him off
from st. Johnsbury,-every now and
then he had to come up and shake
hands with old friends and look in up
on familiar scenes. 1t would not be
long before we would hear his hearty
voice on the street, and feel the warmth
of his presence in some friendly call,
or perhaps in the evening prayer-meet-
ing. Few men except those who are
held by childhood memories retain so
strong an affection for the home OF
their middle life, desiring to see it of
ten aud ways saying "there loved
to live and there will | be buried,"-
Jacob, Machpelah).
l imagine this came naturally about,
for Mr.. Redington threw himself so
long and so heartily into every good
movement here, that the place and the
people became part of his life. He not
only found friends but made them.
For quarter of a century, among the
best known and most loved citizens of
this place, it is not strange that we
should hear him spoken of as Gone of
the institutions of St. JOhnsbury."
How many friends he made over the
old bank counter (under the roof of
the modern Athen9um house) cheer
fully serving callers at almost any
hour of day or night. have just now
on my desk one of the original Pas
sumpsic bank bills, worth much more
to me than the zone dollar" it prom
Uses to pay, because of two strong
well-rOunded signatures with which it
is graced, viz: E. G. RedingtOn, j. p.
Fairbanks. The two men, strikingly
unlike, were wonderfully akin in trans
parency and simplicity of character, of
which their very autographs are a
|
tible integrity, fervOr of religious feel
ing. and practical generosity they were
kindred spirits Whose memory many
cherish gratefully to day.
One of our merchants said this to
me the other day, "When Mr.. Reding-
ton first came here to live, he used to
come over to my store every year just
before Thanksgiving and hand me five
or ten dollars, saying, you know the
poor people here better than | do, just
send them something"
Another of our old time business men
who has been away more than twenty
years, referring to Mr.. RedingtOn in a
letter which have just read, says : 81
feel still the warmth of his cordial
hand shake, and in my heart is the
light of his pleasant smile. He pos
sessed great amiability, with it also,
the strong points of manhood inter
wOven-a character based on strong
common sense, yet tender asa wOman's.
do not believe he ever caused pain
by word or deed to anyone, and when
aware or believing he had, none more
quickly removed the impression OF
made more ample and sincere apology.
He was by instinct refined gentle
man, with the suavity of the old school
the value and beauty of which was,
the heartiness and truthfulness that
underlay it all, coming spontaneously
from his kindly nature. do but jus
tice to myself in acknowledging his
unconscious influence thus felt, in com
mon with scores of others during years
of uhclouded intimacy, and to thank
God for such a life-a light in the past
an inspiration for the future"
1t seemed to me, Mr.. Editor, that
some of your readers belonging to the
"scores of others" here referred to-
would be gratified at these additional
paragraphs in memory of man dear
to all who knew him best. When sucl
a man goes the world is poorer, not fOl
lack of business ability, but of large
/.
are plenty of men able in affairs, but
never too many who take care to oil
the hard machinery of business life
with kind words and sympathies
Mr.. RedingtOn was born at WalpOle
N. HI. 1909; he spent his early years in
Keene, n. H., and Macon. Ga. came
to Chelsea this state i'm 1885 at the re-
quest - an uncle with whom he went
into business; was married in 1888 to
Miss Caroline ID. Stearns, who survives
him but is very feeble lived in ST
Jolnsbury from 1860 to 1877, at first
holding the position of cashier of the
old Passumpsic bank, from the time OF
its organization to 1864, when it be-
came a national bank with Mr.. Redng-
ton as one of its directors Ia position he
held until 1879, and afterward pension
agent for Vermont under Lincoln and
Johnson and still later treasurer of the
. Portland & Ogdensburg railroad from
the time of its opening till 1874. He
spent the last years of his life with his
brOtherin law, Col. Stearns of Brad
ford. He died suddenly of apoplexy
March Fl, aged 70. Funeral services
, were held at the home of Mrs. BOwles
last Thursday and the remains were
|, placed i'm the fOtnb Resides n widow